--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Political correctness is what right-wing…" description: "\"Political correctness is what right-wing bigots call what everybody else calls being polite\" — Iain Banks" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/iain-banks-3752_being-polite_political-correctness-is-what-right-wing_1465254.png" --- # Political correctness is what right-wing bigots call what… ![“Political correctness is what right-wing bigots call what everybody else calls being polite” quote by Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/iain-banks-3752_being-polite_political-correctness-is-what-right-wing_1465254.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/iain-banks-3752_being-polite_political-correctness-is-what-right-wing_1465254.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/iain-banks-3752_being-polite_political-correctness-is-what-right-wing_1465254.png) > “Political correctness is what right-wing bigots call what everybody else calls being polite” [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The term “political correctness” is used by some as a pejorative to dismiss civility. **In simple terms:** Calling politeness a right‑wing insult. Key Takeaway Question the motives behind labeling. Themes language politics social norms Mood skeptical ironic Type satirical commentary When to use this quote - online discourse - workplace policies - public debates Key Concepts euphemism ideological framing Questions to Reflect On - Why label civility as a political weapon? - How does this affect genuine politeness? A Different Perspective Labels can oversimplify complex social expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being polite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-polite/) [Bigots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigots/) [Polite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/polite/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political correctness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-correctness/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Right wing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-wing/) ## Related quotes > [“Democracy was supposed to champion freedom of speech, and yet the simple rules of table decorum could clamp down on the rights their forefathers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/democracy-was-supposed-to-champion-freedom-of-speech-and-yet-the/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [If political correctness has achieved one thing, it’s that it has made the Conservative party cloak their inherent racism behind more creative language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-lee/if-political-correctness-has-achieved-one-thing-it-s-that-it-has-made/) [Stewart Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-lee/) > [I think you have to judge everything based on your personal taste. And if that means being critical, so be it. I hate political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-cowell/i-think-you-have-to-judge-everything-based-on-your-personal-taste-and/) [Simon Cowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-cowell/) > [Racism is not about hurtful words, bruised feelings, political correctness, or refusing to call short people 'vertically challenged.' Racism is about the power to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-zirin/racism-is-not-about-hurtful-words-bruised-feelings-political/) [Dave Zirin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-zirin/) > [I like the free-speech stuff, the political-correctness stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/i-like-the-free-speech-stuff-the-political-correctness-stuff/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) > [To speak plainly and truthfully about the state of our world - to say, for instance, that the Bible and the Koran both contain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/to-speak-plainly-and-truthfully-about-the-state-of-our-world-to-say/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [In this era of political correctness, some people seem unaware that being squeamish about words can mean being blind to realities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/in-this-era-of-political-correctness-some-people-seem-unaware-that/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“You see political correctness is just like any other religion. It’s based on faith, impervious to logic, always looking for converts and its true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-r-white-jr/you-see-political-correctness-is-just-like-any-other-religion-it-s/) [E.R. White Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-r-white-jr/) > [The truth is that this culture of political correctness has tied the hands of law enforcement around the USA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-truth-is-that-this-culture-of-political-correctness-has-tied-the/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [Political correctness is neither political nor is it correct. It amounts to social censorship, and the sooner we spit it out, the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-cooper/political-correctness-is-neither-political-nor-is-it-correct-it/) [Jeff Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-cooper/) > [You get so tired of political correctness. I'm noted for speaking out all my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-arpaio/you-get-so-tired-of-political-correctness-i-m-noted-for-speaking-out/) [Joe Arpaio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-arpaio/) > [Political correctness is a thing of leftist radicals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jair-bolsonaro/political-correctness-is-a-thing-of-leftist-radicals/) [Jair Bolsonaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jair-bolsonaro/) > [Another plague upon the land, as devastating as the locusts God loosed on the Egyptians, is 'Political Correctness.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlton-heston/another-plague-upon-the-land-as-devastating-as-the-locusts-god-loosed/) [Charlton Heston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlton-heston/) > [Political correctness is a major defect of the western ethos. Some Western countries have even passed blasphemy laws that would put you in legal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-sina/political-correctness-is-a-major-defect-of-the-western-ethos-some/) [Ali Sina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-sina/) > [Whether it's people walking off 'The View' when Bill O'Reilly makes a statement about radical Islam or Juan Williams being fired for expressing his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantor/whether-it-s-people-walking-off-the-view-when-bill-o-reilly-makes-a/) [Eric Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantor/) ## More by Iain Banks > [I'm not a great believer in awards-of course the fact that I've never won one has nothing to do with it at all!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/i-m-not-a-great-believer-in-awards-of-course-the-fact-that-i-ve-never/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [“Looking at me, you'd never guess I'd killed three people. It isn't fair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/looking-at-me-you-d-never-guess-i-d-killed-three-people-it-isn-t-fair/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [One should never mistake pattern for meaning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/one-should-never-mistake-pattern-for-meaning/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [I'm a devoted husband. That must strike you as totally deviant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/i-m-a-devoted-husband-that-must-strike-you-as-totally-deviant/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [“The flames had passed over those flattened blades and consumed their heather neighbours on either side while they themselves had remained, made proof against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/the-flames-had-passed-over-those-flattened-blades-and-consumed-their/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [All you ever were was a little bit of the universe, thinking to itself. Very specific; this bit, here, right now. All the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/all-you-ever-were-was-a-little-bit-of-the-universe-thinking-to-itself/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [“We're not in prison, we're not junkies and we're not Young Tories...it's no small achievement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/we-re-not-in-prison-we-re-not-junkies-and-we-re-not-young-tories-it-s/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [Torture is such a slippery slope; as soon as you allow a society or any legal system to do that, almost instantly you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/torture-is-such-a-slippery-slope-as-soon-as-you-allow-a-society-or/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [“Two years after I killed Blyth I murdered my young brother Paul, for quite different reasons than I'd disposed of Blyth, and then a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/two-years-after-i-killed-blyth-i-murdered-my-young-brother-paul-for/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [If you have any helpful suggestions I'd be pleased to hear them. If all you can do is make snide insinuations then it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/if-you-have-any-helpful-suggestions-i-d-be-pleased-to-hear-them-if/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [“He hit and fatally injured my innocent and unfortunate uncle whose muttered last words in hospital, before his coma became a full stop, were:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/he-hit-and-fatally-injured-my-innocent-and-unfortunate-uncle-whose/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [A guilty system recognizes no innocents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/a-guilty-system-recognizes-no-innocents/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [“All reality is a game.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/all-reality-is-a-game/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [There has seldom if ever a shortage of eager young males prepared to kill and die to preserve the security, comfort and prejudices of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/there-has-seldom-if-ever-a-shortage-of-eager-young-males-prepared-to/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) > [Escape is a consumer goods like another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/escape-is-a-consumer-goods-like-another/) [Iain Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) [Explore all 123 Iain Banks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/) ## More Being polite quotes > [Normally when people say they haven't decided, they're being polite but they're definitely not voting for you. I think it's different this time. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cameron/normally-when-people-say-they-haven-t-decided-they-re-being-polite/) [David Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cameron/) > [Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-post/manners-are-a-sensitive-awareness-of-the-feelings-of-others/) [Emily Post](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-post/) > [Lies hold civilization together. If people ever seriously begin telling each other what they really think, there'd be no peace. Good-bye to tact. Good-bye…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-mcdevitt/lies-hold-civilization-together-if-people-ever-seriously-begin/) [Jack McDevitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-mcdevitt/) > [We're so concerned about being polite in society, and rightfully so, that it carries over onto a football team. But on a good football…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-frost/we-re-so-concerned-about-being-polite-in-society-and-rightfully-so/) [Scott Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-frost/) > [The toughest thing about being a celebrity, I suppose, is being polite when I don't want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/the-toughest-thing-about-being-a-celebrity-i-suppose-is-being-polite/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) > [We must recall the most important of humanity guidelines: Be polite. Being polite is possibly the greatest daily contribution everyone can make to life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/we-must-recall-the-most-important-of-humanity-guidelines-be-polite/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [What have you done to my cat?" Magnus demanded... "You drank his blood, didn't you? You said you weren't hungry!" Simon was indignant. "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/what-have-you-done-to-my-cat-magnus-demanded-you-drank-his-blood-didn/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [A lot of our lives are about being polite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachelle-lefevre/a-lot-of-our-lives-are-about-being-polite/) [Rachelle Lefevre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachelle-lefevre/) > [You lose nothing by being polite. The answer is 'No', but please say it politely and give the reasons. ... Explain to me why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mr-lee/you-lose-nothing-by-being-polite-the-answer-is-no-but-please-say-it/) [Mr. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mr-lee/) > [After a while, being so honest and so vulnerable on the page ends up affecting my own kind of self possession in the world,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-parker/after-a-while-being-so-honest-and-so-vulnerable-on-the-page-ends-up/) [Morgan Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-parker/) > [Being polite to a person is not a sign of respect for them. It is merely a sign of a good upbringing and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/being-polite-to-a-person-is-not-a-sign-of-respect-for-them-it-is/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [Children are natural mimics who act like their parents despite every effort to teach them good manners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/children-are-natural-mimics-who-act-like-their-parents-despite-every/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Being polite is not only the right way to respond to people but also the easiest. Life is so filled with unavoidable conflict that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/being-polite-is-not-only-the-right-way-to-respond-to-people-but-also/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [The trouble is, if you go too far towards being polite, the label that applies is "doormat".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/the-trouble-is-if-you-go-too-far-towards-being-polite-the-label-that/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [Women have got to stop being polite. If I ever had children, which I don't, the first thing I'd teach a girl of mine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-mirren/women-have-got-to-stop-being-polite-if-i-ever-had-children-which-i/) [Helen Mirren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-mirren/) [Browse all 36 Being polite quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-polite/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Political correctness is what right-wing bigots call what everybody else calls being polite", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Iain Banks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/political-correctness-is-what-right-wing-bigots-call-what-everybody/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being polite" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/political-correctness-is-what-right-wing-bigots-call-what-everybody/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/iain-banks-3752_being-polite_political-correctness-is-what-right-wing_1465254.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/iain-banks-3752_being-polite_political-correctness-is-what-right-wing_1465254.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/iain-banks-3752_being-polite_political-correctness-is-what-right-wing_1465254.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Political correctness is what right-wing bigots call what everybody else calls being polite” — Iain Banks", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Iain Banks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-banks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Political correctness is what right-wing bigots...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/political-correctness-is-what-right-wing-bigots-call-what-everybody/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-banks/political-correctness-is-what-right-wing-bigots-call-what-everybody/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```